Michigan suffered its second straight loss for the first time of the season on Thursday night when it fell to Maryland at College Park. The Wolverines were put to the test with what was considered an easy “get even” game, and it was.
Leigha Brown and Laila Phelia combined for 42 points, and the two leaders beat Minnesota alone as Michigan cruised to a 77–41 win.
Nothing was new in this game as Phelia and Brown set the tone early on with a combined 15 points in the first quarter. They combined to shoot 7-12 from the floor, with neither stud reaching the bench in the first quarter.
With 1:28 left in the first quarter, Brown scored her 1,000th point at the free-throw line on an and-one layup.
The scoring was more evenly distributed in the second quarter, and although Michigan only scored 15 points in the second quarter, Minnesota struggled on the offensive side of the floor and the Wolverines enjoyed a 34–23 lead going into halftime.
Michigan came out of the locker room on fire in the third quarter. Phelia, Brown, and Greta Kampschroeder all finished with at least five points, and Michigan’s lead grew to 31 points heading into the fourth quarter.
The Wolverines took their foot off the gas in the fourth quarter, as the outcome of the game had already been determined. The Golden Gophers failed to make up ground, and Michigan walked out of the barn with a 36-point win.
Late in the fourth quarter, junior forward Whiney Sollom checked in for the game and she scored her first points of the season on a layup with 1:45 left to play.
With the win, Michigan improves to 17-5 overall and 7-4 in the Big Ten. Kim Barnes Arico’s team heads back to Ann Arbor where it prepares for the Big Ten’s biggest surprise of the season, the Illinois Fighting Illini.
Under freshman head coach Shauna Green, Illinois has impressed many and made some noise near the top of the Big Ten standings. The Fighting Illini are currently 16-5 overall and 6-4 in the Big Ten.
The game starts on Thursday, February 2 at 6:30 PM from Crisler.
—
Discuss this article with our community on our premium message boards
Not a subscriber to Maize & Blue Review? Sign up today to access all the latest Michigan Intel M&BR has to offer
Follow our employees on Twitter: @JoshHenschke, @Berry_Seth14, @TrevorMcCue, @DennisFithian, @BrockHeilig, @JimScarcelli, @DavisMoseley, @lucasreimink, @JaredHalus
Subscribe to our podcasts: Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts and Spotify
View Maize & Blue Review video content on YouTube
Follow Maize & Blue Review on social media: Facebook, TwitterTikTok and Instagram
